Veteran sports writer Jim Utter covers NASCAR for The Charlotte Observer and its racing site, ThatsRacin.com. In this space, Jim writes about all things NASCAR and other forms of racing which may also be relevant ... or not.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Annett hopes for accelerated return to NASCAR competition

Michael Annett, who suffered a
cracked sternum in a wreck in the Feb. 23 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at
Daytona, will meet with his surgeon Monday at Carolinas Medical Center to check
on his progress.

Reed Sorenson is currently filling in for Annett in Richard Petty
Motorsports’ No. 43 Ford until Annett is cleared to return to driving. The
initial assessment was he would miss six to eight weeks of action.

Annett said his team and NASCAR officials remain uncertain how he suffered
the injury.

“It was just that everything came together the worst way possible – the
speed, the impact, the angle of impact,” Annett said. “Twelve years ago I
wouldn’t be able to be standing here talking to you guys if we didn’t have the
safety devices we have now.

"The pain is gone pretty much right now, but sneezing and there are certain things I do where I get a little bit cocky and think I can do more than I can and tweak it a little bit, but, right now, it's just about time and everything healing back."